THE CHICKEN BOX

The Chicken Box is a live music venue and nightclub at 16 Dave Street in Nantucket, Massachusetts. The venue has a capacity of 300 people and features one of the largest dance floors on the island. It is a primary nightlife destination for both residents and visitors.

The venue hosts live bands six to seven nights a week during summer and scales back to weekends in the off-season. Programming spans rock, reggae, jam, indie, and tribute shows, plus DJ dance parties that run late. The atmosphere is high-energy with close-up sightlines to the stage.

The Chicken Box was founded in 1949 by Willie House and his wife, an African-American couple from Kentucky who came to Nantucket as domestic servants. House named the venue for his signature honey-fried chicken. After obtaining a liquor license in 1951, House leveraged his New York City connections to bring jazz and blues musicians to perform during the summers. In 2000, ownership passed to three former employees: Thomas "Packy" Norton, John Jordin, and Anthony "Rocky" Fox. Over its 75-year history, the Chicken Box transitioned from a restaurant to a dedicated concert venue.